Volvo's XC40 P6 Recharge is here to change perceptions about EV ownership. If your new-car budget is just over a million bucks and you're keen on joining the EV revolution, is this sexy Swede worth throwing your money at?
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The Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge follows hot on the heels of the twin-motor, all-wheel drive XC40 P8, which may be blistering-quick but has a much shorter range. Instead, the P6 Recharge model offers a more practical solution if you’re going to EV route: A car that can go much further without the need to recharge, while still offering very decent performance (170kw with 330Nm ) and a multitude of on-board tech and comfort features.
Styling
The P6 looks even more svelte than the rest of the XC40 lineup because of its lack of a front grille, which has been replaced by a curved panel because there is no need to cool an engine in the bonnet. In order to conserve power, all the lights are LEDs. Apart from this and the ‘Recharge’ badging below the boot lid and on the side of the blacked-out roof, you would never know that this was indeed an EV.
Onlookers with a keen eye approached me to discuss the car and asked if they could take a peek inside, where oohs and aahs ensued. The P6 was an even bigger hit once they discovered that there is not even a start button.
The side view is equally appealing – the combination of character lines and indentations on the flanks, and the upwards-sloping beltline create just enough visual interest, while the large diamond-cut alloys underscore the XC40’s premium status.
The rear end looks equally striking with its integrated roof spoiler and convex boot lid, while the almost-S-shaped LEDs lights form a beautiful light signature that beckons a second, longer look.
Space & Interior
I always say that in my heart I have always been a Volvo girl, long before I was bedazzled by the silent ‘whoosh’ of the P6 and P8 Recharge models. The XC40 sports one of the best-looking and most practical cabins in the business. From the suede seats to the decorative trim inserts that run along the dash and the large iPad-like central touchscreen to the way that the steering wheel feels in your hands – everything is exactly how I’d like it to be. My only issue is that the beautiful, comfortable, black suede inserts aren’t going to be all that easy to clean.
With regard to space, there’s much more room inside than you’d imagine. Second-row passengers have more legroom than most compact SUVs in the segment and boot space is very generous too. The electronic tailgate opens when you swing your leg underneath the rear bumper so that you don’t even need to put your shopping down on the floor to free up one of your hands. This feature is included in the asking price.
Comfort & Convenience
Volvo is all about making your driving life less complicated and if you’re juggling the number of balls as I do, the clean and serene cabin with minimal buttons help to bring order and calm to your daily commute. The Google-enabled cockpit with onboard wifi (and built-in Google apps and services) is completely voice-activated and even works with non-Android phones. There’s very little need to fiddle with the touchscreen and even less need to pick up your phone at all. And when you use the Satnav, the system will tell you exactly how much power you will use and what percentage of energy will be left in the battery by the time you reach your destination, and will also point out charging points along the way, if there are any. The embedded Plugshare app will also tell you which charging stations are functional and online, but this isn’t always completely fail-safe. Caledon, on the N2, sports a fast charger but only the AC outlet was working when we got there.
Our test model also had heated seats – but not just in front; second-row passengers have this functionality too, along with their own air vents. The heated steering wheel is a lovely little luxury on cold mornings. (Only the panoramic sunroof and heated seats/steering wheel are optional – everything else is standard.)
Opening the sunroof requires you to simply slide your finger over the small, elongated panel in the XC40’s ‘ceiling’, which adds to the premium and high-tech ambience. As I mentioned before, there is no ‘start’ button either – the Volvo’s sensors detect when there’s someone in the driver’s seat, and will deactivate the parking brake when you nudge the gear selector forward or backwards to select your gear of choice When you want to exit the vehicle, you just hit the P button and it activates the parking brake for you automatically. It almost feels like you’re forgetting something every time you exit the car without having to switch something off.
Performance
The fully-electric P6 makes do with one electric motor on the front axle instead of one on each axle in the faster, four-wheel-driven P8. You would think that the single-motor-driven P6 would be less impressive overall, but it’s still rather quick with a 0-100 km per hour sprint time of just over seven seconds. It’s rather remarkable on dirt and gravel too, despite the large wheels – I haven’t had a ride as smooth, secure, and comfortable as this in a very long time.
Piloting the P6 is a complete no-brainer, especially when teamed with Volvo’s class-leading Pilot Assist system that basically drives the car for you. Once you’ve activated all the semi-autonomous goodies, all you really have to do is hold the steering wheel – and not even all the time. The P6’s biggest selling point is its range, however. In the city, you’ll easily get 400+ km out of one full charge, but if you commute as I do, I’d say 300 to 350 km is about the going rate, depending on your driving style. A trip from Hermanus to Cape town (about 120km) would use approximately 30% of the battery in one go, and I had to carefully plan my trips according to fast-charging 150 kW DC (Direct Current) chargers in Cape Town. A quick 30 minutes at one of these fast-chargers would mean the battery would be at almost 100% for the trip home (see photo below), plus you have the best parking in the house.
Favourite stops for fast charging included the Jaguar/Land Rover charging points at the Stellenbosch Square mall and the Gardens Centre in Cape Town’s city bowl. Other worthwhile stops with slower AC (Alternate Current) chargers include Canal Walk and the V&A Waterfront, of course, and there are wine farms such as Vrede en Lust as well as L’ormarins at the Franschhoek Motor Museum that also have an AC charger for your convenience.
Charging a half-empty battery at home without the Volvo wall box is a bit time-consuming (a full night and a morning) but with the wall box, included in the price of the P6, it takes around 7 to 9 hours. So, if I were in the market for an EV and I had the wall box, I would certainly not stress about range, despite having to commute to Cape Town regularly. Should you be one of those people who is always worrying about everything, and range anxiety is a reality for you (my stressed husband is one of those people), you’ll be glad to hear that Volvo is offering their EV customers the use of a petrol-powered Volvo for two weeks per year so that they (and their family members) can have a stress-free road trip.
Power usage & range
It’s all about your driving style and speed of travel when you’re behind the wheel of an EV. A heavy right foot is a bad idea if you drive an EV, and you’ll soon reap the rewards when you start driving more conservatively. Out on the open road, our P6 returned 20.8 kW/h and in town around 20 kW/h, which is much less power used than the lightning-fast P8 with a realistic range of about 300 – 350 km (in town) or even less if you make regular use of our highways and byways. Volvo’s EVs offer one-pedal driving which negates the need for any use of the brake pedal, as the P6 brakes itself the moment you take your foot from the power pedal (this is its default setting, but can easily be switched off). One quickly gets used to this – it makes driving even less of an effort, but its main purpose is to convert kinetic energy into electric energy in order to optimise your EV’s range.
Safety rating
It’s five stars all the way – not just because it’s a Volvo, but because of everything that prevents accidents in the first place. With the number of sensors, radar, and birds-eye-view cameras everywhere, you would have to be a special kind of reckless to crash a Volvo or to even scrape one of its beautiful rims. Should someone else crash into you, however, there are enough airbags on board and the cabin’s structure is so well-protected from the impact that damage would not be too severe.
Price
The Volvo P6 is priced at R1 075 000, making it SA’s most affordable electric SUV.
Volvo’s signature suite of safety features as well as the Pilot Assist driver support system are also included in the purchase price, along with the Volvo CARE package, which here comprises a five-year maintenance plan and warranty, three years of comprehensive insurance, use of a petrol car for two weeks per year for three years, a public charge cable and a wallbox. – Volvo SA
Competitors
The Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge doesn’t have any real competitors at the moment – it’s pretty affordable for a fully-electric, compact-to-midsize SUV. Jaguar’s I-Pace and the BMW i-Range’s similarly-sized SUVs are much pricier; BMW’s iX3 M Sport is just shy of R1,3 million while the iX xDrive40 retails for R1,7 million. The e-tron models from Audi start from R1,745 000.
Verdict
In SA, electric SUVs with a decent range are mostly still for well-heeled folk who have more than a million to spend on a car, but if I were in the pound seats, the P6 Recharge is where my money would go!
Ané AlbertseAné was bitten by the motoring bug at a very young age. Her mom recalls her sitting in her stroller as a 3-year old, naming every car that came past. She was working as a freelance motoring journalist for publications such as Rapport and City Press, when AutoTrader nabbed her for good. She lives in the Western Cape with her two kids and two cats.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge (2022) Review